Taiwan: Cabinet urged to quickly propose gay marriage draft bill

Gay rights groups in Taiwan on Friday urged the Executive Yuan to respond to a Constitutional Court ruling in May that ruled in favor of gay marriage and quickly propose a draft bill to legalize same-sex marriage in the country.

At a press conference held at the Legislative Yuan, gay marriage advocate Jennifer Lu (呂欣潔) said although Premier Lai Ching-te (賴清德) has expressed support for same-sex marriage, a same-sex marriage bill is nowhere to be seen on his Cabinet's list of priorities.

Noting that the Constitutional Court has asked Taiwan's authorities to determine the formality for achieving the "equal protection of the freedom of marriage," Lu urged the Executive Yuan to fulfill its responsibility and propose a draft bill in response to the court's ruling.

She also called on the Legislative Yuan to quickly pass the second and third reading of an amendment to the Civil Code that will legalize same-sex marriage and allow married gay couples to adopt children. The amendment has been stalled in the Legislative Yuan after passing an initial reading late last year. Read more via Focus Taiwan